Jerry Springer rallies Valley’s Obama team

Ohio holds the key to winning the presidency in November, said television personality Jerry Springer, who visited President Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters here Friday, ending a three-day sweep through the Buckeye State.

Springer called this year’s presidential election the “most important in my lifetime,” and said if the presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is to win the presidency, he must carry Virginia, Florida and Ohio.

“Hopefully, Ohio is where we stop this from happening,” Springer said after giving a pep talk to volunteers at Obama’s campaign headquarters on Market Street.

He also met with Obama supporters Friday evening at Michael Alberini’s Restaurant in Boardman.

Springer, perhaps best known as host of “The Jerry Springer Show,” and as former Democratic mayor of Cincinnati, said he does not believe his support will negatively affect the president at the polls.

“People are not going to cast their votes because of a TV show,” he said.

Normally, political parties have platforms, but this election is unique in that the right-wing Congress has already passed Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan’s budget, Springer said.

The only thing stopping the Ryan budget, which Springer says attacks the middle class, is Obama’s veto power.

Romney has said that on the first day of his presidency the new health care law would be repealed. Further, Springer said, Romney would not dare veto Ryan’s proposed budget.

“Never before in my lifetime have we known what will happen the first day if Romney is elected. That is the danger of this election,” Springer said.

“The choice of Ryan is a cynical, mean-spirited attack on middle-class Americans,” he said.

Christine Rohde of Boardman, a volunteer at Obama’s campaign headquarters, said it was exciting to see a celebrity come to the area and thinks Springer’s visit will help the campaign.

Rohde thinks the November election will be close, but says the choice of Ryan as Romney’s running mate has energized Democrats.

“Ryan is an obstructionist with extreme views who keeps things from getting done in Congress,” she added.

Ryan visited the Mahoning Valley on Thursday with a brief stop at a Warren hot dog shop.